It took a little over three years, but Miguel Cotto (37-2, 30 KO's) finally avenged his first professional loss by dominating Mexican nemesis Antonio Margarito (38-8, 27 KO's), retaining the WBA Super World Junior Middleweight title with a tenth-round stoppage in front of a sold-out, frenzied Madison Square Garden crowd.

Cotto, 31, started round one the same way he began their first encounter; moving his feet swiftly and striking Margarito with piercing, clean punches to the head. Cotto exhibited a lot of force behind his shots, leaving Margarito baffled as he stalked the Puerto Rican warrior. Margarito, 33, had a great deal of trouble coping with Cotto's skillful in and out mobility.

Cotto continued to use angles to keep Margarito off-balance in round two, and landed a crisp right cross to Margarito's head. Cotto was gliding just as quickly as in their first fight, although this time he seemed to have an added composure, alertness and focus to his game.

As Cotto carried on sticking and moving proficiently in round three, Margarito encountered a cut on the corner of his right eye, which was the very same eye Manny Pacquiao had severely damaged in the fight prior to facing Cotto. After that, Margarito immediately stepped up his aggression. From that point until the end of the round, Cotto and Margarito traded punches fearlessly at a furious pace.

Cotto comfortably found the target in round four, connecting with numerous right cross-left hook combinations. Margarito vehemently attacked Cotto's body, although Cotto was continually getting his punches off first.

Margarito closed the fifth round strong, as he landed a firm right-hand shot to Cotto's head in the last thirty seconds.

Margarito started to land some big punches in round six, but Cotto fired right back, displaying better conditioning than in their first fight.

By the eighth round, Cotto's punches revealed greater force behind them even though he was the smaller man.

During round nine, Cotto ripped off a series of left hooks, repeatedly striking Margarito in his impaired right eye. With ten seconds left in the round, Cotto snapped Margarito's head back with another devastating left hook.

After round nine concluded, ringside physician Dr. Anthony Curreri informed referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight because Margarito could not see out of his right eye anymore.

Yet, the victory over Margarito is bittersweet. On one hand, Cotto conquered the man who handed him his first professional loss in front of a large pro-Puerto Rican crowd in New York City. But, Margarito supposedly had used plaster of paris in his hand wraps during his first fight with Cotto. In spite of the previous allegations, Cotto's career has gained significant momentum again, and it may be back to where it was in 2008.

Rios Takes Out Murray

Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios (29-0-1, 22 KO's) stopped England's John Murray (31-2, 18 KO's) via TKO 11 in a fierce lightweight battle. Originally, Rios' WBA World Lightweight title was at stake, but he was stripped of his belt after failing to make the 135 lb. limit at the weigh-in Friday afternoon. The vacant title was only at stake for Murray.

Rios, 25, worked Murray's body without difficulty in the early rounds, as both fighters exchanged blow-for-blow in close quarters. Murray's punch output dipped slightly in round three, but he picked up his pace in round four, repeatedly striking Rios in the head. However, Rios began to wear Murray down in the fifth round with his high-energy level and relentless punching. By the end of round six, Murray had sustained massive swelling under both eyes, and suffered a bloody nose.

In round eight, Rios connected with a flush right-hand shot that snapped Murray's head back. By this point, Murray's punches had lost their steam, and Rios' shots were becoming much more damaging and troublesome for the Manchester fighter.

Rios continued to tire out Murray in the tenth round, simply outworking the 26-year-old with savage uppercuts to the body and head. Rios was intensely determined to end the fight, and he connected with even more uppercuts to the body and clean overhand rights in round eleven, prompting referee Earl Brown to halt the action at 2:06.

Rodriguez, 31, couldn't miss with his vicious right uppercut, cutting through Wolak's meager defense at will. Wolak, 30, did not unleash as many punches compared to his first encounter with Rodriguez, and essentially was a stationary target absorbing a tremendous beating. Rodriguez used superior lateral movement and found his range early in the fight. After that, Rodriguez, who is known to be an agonizing puncher, comfortably dismantled Wolak with an unwavering work rate of excruciating punches.

Jones, 28, displayed decent punching power, and was extremely poised against the wide-punching Lujan, who applied steady pressure throughout the bout, but lacked the overall skills to pull out a win.

Lujan aggressively attacked Jones' body, although Jones countered efficiently with crisp left hooks to Lujan's head in the early rounds. Jones showed tremendous balance, pounding Lujan with a precise left hook-right cross combination in round two that sent the game Argentinean into the ropes momentarily dazed.

During round four, Lujan exhibited swelling on the left side of his face. While Lujan lacked a sound defense, he continued to relentlessly charge at Jones.

In round ten, Jones struck Lujan above his left eye with a firm right-hand shot. Lujan, 31, was also stunned by a swift left uppercut in the eleventh round, and was still pushing until the final bell.

The 25-year-old Cook (4-0, 2 KOs), fighting out of Ajax, Ontario, is a very popular prizefighter who made his pro debut last February, taking a four-round decision from Francis Lafreniere. Three wins have followed, including a devastating first-round knockout of Jason Bernava last Friday night in New Brunswick.

"Brandon's certainly not afraid to mix it up," 29-year-old Tyler Buxton (Buxton Promotions) noted. "He's a boxer-puncher with an aggressive style that's helped him become one of the biggest ticket sellers in Greater Toronto.

"I've promoted him since his pro debut. We signed with Hennessy Sports in order to get Brandon more exposure and bigger fights. We've done shows with Hennessy Sports and know they can help us build Brandon's fan-base, not only in Canada, but internationally as well."

The all-action Cook is an aggressive, come-straight-ahead fighter who International Boxing Hall of Fame nominee announcer Al Bernstein, who called Cook's last fight from ringside, referred to as a bigger version of WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios.

Friday, November 25, 2011

TORONTO (November 25, 2011) - Undefeated Canadian super featherweight Logan Cotton McGuinness has been named the North American Boxing Association ("NABA") 2011 Fighter of the Year.

"It's a great honor for me to be chosen by the NABA as its Fighter of the Year," McGuinness said. "I defended the NABA lightweight title twice since winning it in September (2010) and won the NABA super featherweight title as well. Hopefully, I'll defend that belt once or twice and then reach the ultimate goal of fighting for the world title."

McGuinness' accomplishment came in a year that also featured NABA champions such as cruiserweight Latiff Kayode, middleweight Andy Lee and welterweight Mike Jones.

"He was the NABA's most active boxer for this year," NABA president George Martinez explained McGuinness' selection. "He defended his lightweight title twice and then moved down one division and won that title with a good performance. Of all the champions we had this year, Logan was the most impressive."

The 24-year-old McGuinness (16-0-1, 7 KOs), presently rated No. 9 by the World Boxing Association ("WBA"), relinquished the NABA lightweight crown to fight former world title challenger Benoit Gaudet (24-3, 10 KOs) last month for the vacant NABA super featherweight championship . Logan overcame a deep cut over his left eye from an accidental head-butt in the second round to register a dramatic 11th round knockout.

"Gaudet came to fight me in front of all my fans," Logan added. "He was nothing but classy, before and after our fight. We have at least 6000 people at my fights (at Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario). It was so loud there that all I could hear was my name being announced. I'm from a small town (Orangeville), which is only 40 minutes north of the venue. The town is very supportive of its athletes.

"I'm excited to see what happens in 2012. I may be fighting March 17, St. Patrick's Day, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and that would be a dream come true. I've only fought once in America (a six-round draw May 22, 2010 vs. 35-13 Walter Estrada at Mohegan Sun in Conn.) and it wasn't my best performance. I've been waiting to get back to America to fight so fight fans there, especially the Irish, get to see me at my best."

Hennessy Sports has moved McGuinness very well and now he's ready to go from promising prospect to legitimate contender. "This is a great honor for Logan and well deserved," promoter Adam Harris (Hennessy Sports) remarked. "Logan leaves it all in the ring, each and every time he fights, and we hope to land him a world title shot. Fans love watching him fight."

McGuinness should move up in the next WBA ratings from his present No. 9 position, the highest ranking for any North American super featherweight.

"Now that I'm considered a top 10 fighter for the first time," McGuinness concluded. "Next year at some point, I hope to be fighting a top 10 opponent and within 1 ½-to-2 years, I should be fighting for the world title."

Shumenov (12-1, 8 KOs), a 2004 Kazakhstan Olympian, and former European champion Cleverly (23-0, 11 KOs) would match, respectively, a lawyer against a mathematician.

One potential obstacle for any unification bout has been averted because Shumenov is once again promoted by KZ Event Productions, which he owns and operates with his brother, Chingis.

"Both of us are world champions; Cleverly in the WBO and me in the WBA," Shumenov said. "I tried to unify against a WBO champion before but it didn't work out. This fight should happen for boxing fans all over the world and we, as fighters, need to make sure that it does happen. I am sure Cleverly would prefer to fight at home in the UK, as I would love to fight in Kazakhstan, but this fight belongs in the boxing capital of the world, Las Vegas. I'm ready and, if Cleverly is really willing and able, let's make it happen and get a deal done. My goal has always been to unify the light heavyweight world title."

Shumenov's trusted advisor, Hall of Fame promoter Don Chagrin, recently reached out to Cleverly's promoter, Frank Warren, after reading stories that the WBO champion was interested in a unification fight against Beibut. Chargin has since received two calls from Warren's matchmaker, Dean Powell. "They want the fight in Wales or London, Beibut would like to have it in Kazakhstan," Chagrin reported. "I asked if they'd be interested in Las Vegas and he said that was something that could possibly be arranged. I'm still waiting to hear back from them about fighting in Las Vegas."

Shumenov set a light heavyweight record for capturing a world title in the fewest career fights, 10, when (Jan. 29, 2010) he won a 12-round decision against Gabriel Campillo in Las Vegas. In three successful world title defenses, Shumenov won a unanimous 12-round decision versus No. 1 mandatory challenger and previously undefeated Viacheslav Uzelkov (UDEC12), followed by a six-round knockout of three-time world champion William Joppy (KO6), and then his victory last July by ninth-round TKO versus three-time world title challenger Danny Santiago.

In only 13 pro fights, Beibut has defeated four world champions (Campillo, Joppy, Byron Mitchell and Montell Griffin), as well as three world title challengers (Uzelkov, Santiago and Epifanio Mendoza

Cleverly captured the Interim WBO title a year ago, when he won a 12-round decision against Nadjib Mohammedi, after WBO champion Juergen Braehmer was stripped for pulling out of his title defense against Cleverly. Braehmer had done the same thing against Shumenov, only days before their scheduled unification fight last January in Kazakhstan. Cleverly was named the outright WBO champion and he has since successfully defended his title against Aleksy Kuziemski (TKO4) and Tony Bellow (DEC12) this past October.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

TORONTO (November 22, 2011) - One of Ontario's best amateur boxers, undefeated featherweight prospect Tyler Asselstine, steps-up in class December 10 for his first scheduled eight-round bout against Frenchman Philippe Frenois at Bell Centre in Montreal.

In his last action this past June in Ireland, Frenois (14-4-1) went the full 12-rounds, albeit in a losing effort, against undefeated Patrick Hyland for the World Boxing Federation featherweight title. The French boxer has never been stopped.

Asselstine's amateur pedigree includes being a member of the 2009 Canadian National Team, representing his country in numerous International matches, as well as being the 2010 Ringside World Championships gold medalist. Since completing a standout amateur career (70-10), the 25-year-old Asselstine (7-0, 5 KOs) from Kingston, Ontario has taken to the professional ranks by storm. The gifted southpaw, who started boxing at 18 after being a kick-boxer, has been a pro prizefighter for only 13 months but he has already had seven fights.

In some ways, Tyler is a smaller, younger version of his boxing idol, IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute, sort of a "Bute-light." Asselstine's promoter, Hennessy Sports, believes Tyler has what it takes to be the next great Canadian boxer.

"He's only 25 and we think, to say the least, Tyler has a very, very bright boxing future," his promoter Adam Harris (Hennessy Sports) said. "He has been totally dominant in his first seven pro fights. We're keeping him as busy as possible because all he really lacks at this stage of his young professional career is ring experience."

Asselstine-Frenois is on a GYM Promotions card headed by Adonis Stevenson vs. Aaron Pryor, Jr. for the NABA/NABO super middleweight titles and a WBC International middleweight championship bout between David Lemieux and Joachine Alcine.

NEW YORK November 22, 2011 - NBC Sports Group announced today the formation of NBC Sports Network Fight Night, a boxing series featuring premier boxing talent. Fight Night will debut on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 on the NBC Sports Network (which will be renamed from VERSUS on Jan. 2, 2012), from Asylum Arena in Philadelphia, Pa. The Fight Night cards are being scheduled in cities that are served by a Comcast Sports Group regional network, and the regional networks will help promote the events and have the ability to re-air fights.

NBC Sports Group will work with Main Events and Hall-of-Fame matchmaker J Russell Peltz on a multi-promoter strategy for NBC Sports Network Fight Night designed to produce the best quality fights. It is a strategy in which any promoter can participate to get their boxers involved in these programs.

"We are reaching out to all promoters to get involved in the series, and our priority is simply to make exciting fights. We don't care who brings the fighters," said Kathy Duva, president, Main Events. "We expect that multiple promoters will be involved in each of the Fight Night programs. All fighters who are willing to further their careers by engaging in compelling, interesting, meaningful matches are welcome."

"Fights in this series will be solid, competitive and exciting," said Peltz. "Borrowing the philosophy of the late Madison Square Garden matchmaker Teddy Brenner, my bouts will be made on the following criteria: Do the fighters' styles mesh to make an exciting fight? Does this fight lead to something? And would I buy a ticket to it? These should be good fights for boxing fans."

New York, NY (11/21/2011) - On Friday, January 6th, DiBella Entertainment will kick off the 2012 season of ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" with what promises to be an action-packed night of boxing, outdoors at Mallory Square, in beautiful Key West, Florida. Headlining the card will be WBC and WBA #9 rated Super Middleweight, Dyah Davis (20-2-1, 9KO's), taking on hard-hitting Alfonso Lopez (22-1, 17KO's), in a 10-round match-up. Opening up the show will be a can't-miss junior middleweight showdown between DiBella Entertainment's highly regarded up-and-coming prospects, Steve Martinez (11-0, 9KO's) and Jonathan Cepeda (11-0, 10KO's). Martinez-Cepeda is scheduled for eight rounds.

"January 6th begins ESPN's 2012 season with a bang," said Lou DiBella, CEO and President of DiBella Entertainment. "You have two huge punchers in the Martinez-Cepeda match-up, and someone's '0' must go. This is a terrific opener almost guaranteed to be explosive. In the main event, Dyah Davis looks to continue his climb toward a world title shot against emerging contender Alfonso Lopez. This is a helluva way to kick off the new year."

"We are pleased to be starting off the 2012 Friday Night Fights season from Key West Florida with Dibella Entertainment. Coming off a spectacular 2011 we expect the main event of Davis VS. Lopez to deliver action and excitement for our boxing fans," said ESPN Director fo Programming, Doug Loughrey.

The Florida-native Davis, son of former Olympic gold medal winner and world title challenger, Howard Davis, is two fights removed from his most impressive victory to date, a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Marcus Johnson (20-0, 15KO's, at the time). Davis followed up that win with another unanimous decision victory over the always dangerous Darnell Boone in October. Davis is hoping an impressive showing on the nationally televised ESPN network will move him one step closer toward challenging for a piece of the super middleweight crown. First though, he must get passed Lopez, whose only defeat as a pro came in a disputable majority decision loss to former middleweight kingpin Kelly Pavlik.

Puerto Rican Steven Martinez, who hails from the Bronx, and is co-managed by NY Giants Running Back, Brandon Jacobs, is one of the most promising prospects to come out of New York in years. A three-time New York Golden Gloves Champion, and 2008 National Golden Gloves Champion, the 21-year-old Martinez has everything you look for in an up-and-coming prospect; size, speed, and knockout power in either hand. Martinez recently spent time serving as one of the lead sparring partners in helping prepare reigning Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez defend his title against Darren Barker this past October. Martinez was one of the featured bouts on the undercard that night, stopping the always tough Jay Krupp in the fifth round of their scheduled six-round junior middleweight contest.

Like Martinez, Cepeda is another can't-miss prospect, and a former Golden Gloves Champion. Cepeda, who is of Dominican descent, and originally hails from New Jersey, now lives and trains in Florida, under renowned trainer John David Jackson.

The bout on January 6th will be the first scheduled eight-round bout for both Martinez and Cepeda, as well as the first time either will be featured on national television.

The entire show is promoted by DiBella Entertainment. The show will air live on ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPN Deportes at 9PM ET. A complete list of the undercard will be announced shortly. Tickets will go on sale soon.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

TORONTO (November 16, 2011) - Canadian welterweight Victor Lupo finally gets his well deserved title shot December 17 against former world title challenger Antonin Decarie for the vacant World Boxing Council ("WBC") International Welterweight Championship at Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City.

Victor Lupo is shown pounding former world champion Junior Witter in their fight this past February.

Photo Credit : Durell Wambolt / The Boxing Examiner

Lupo (19-1-2, 9 KOs), who lives in Toronto, become the mandatory challenger last February by defeating former world champion Junior Witter (37-3-2) by a 10-round decision for the vacant WBC International Silver title. The reigning WBC International champion, Phil "The Italian Sensation" Lo Greco, was recently stripped of his title belt for refusing to fight Lupo.

"I worked very hard to become the mandatory challenger," WBC #19-rated Lupo said, "but I couldn't force Lo Greco to fight me. I'm excited to be getting my chance against Decarie, a good fighter who will be fighting at home. I didn't care if I had to fight him on the moon. I've waited a long time for this opportunity and plan on taking full advantage. He struggled to beat Irving Garcia (majority decision) last year, so he's going to be in serious trouble when he gets in the ring with me. I'm going to turn up the heat, pressuring him from the opening bell, break him down and then finish the show. I will not be denied. "

Lupo is a former Canadian welterweight and WBC Fedecentro middleweight champion. The fan-friendly fighter's only career loss as a pro was four years ago to Paul Clevette by way of a controversial eight round majority decision. The rugged Romanian has been on a mission to capture the WBC International title for the past few years.

WBC #26-rated Decarie, fighting out of Quebec, lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Souleymane M'baye 1-½ years ago for the interim World Boxing Association ("WBA") welterweight crown. He is a past Canadian light welterweight and NABO welterweight champion.

"Lupo earned this title shot," noted his promoter Adam Harris (Hennessy Sports). "Nothing has ever been given to Victor. He did everything he could to get a title shot against Lo Greco, but that's history and now he's focused on defeating Decarie and bringing the title belt home to Toronto. Boxing fans love to watch an aggressive, pressuring fighter like Victor because they always get their money's worth. This will be the next step for Lupo on his way to a world title fight, hopefully, sometime late next year. It was great working with Yvon Michel (GYM Promotions) to make this fantastic All-Canadian bout."

MIAMI (Nov. 16, 2011) - The maturation process for undefeated 21-year-old middleweight Michael "The Brazilian Rocky" Oliveira (15-0, 12 KOs)spiked last Friday night after his impressive eighth-round win against veteran Xavier "The X-Man" Tolliver (23-7, 15 KOs) in the middleweight prospect's first fight on American television. Oliveira won by disqualification on a World Championship edition of Shobox: The Next Generation, LIVE on SHOWTIME® from Cohen Stadium in El Paso, Texas.

Oliveira weathered Tolliver's first-round onslaught, showing tremendous poise for such a young boxer, controlling the remainder of the bout until referee Richard Chapa, who had deducted a point in the fifth from Tolliver for repeated head-butts, disqualified Tolliver for landing a punch after a break. Oliveira led all on the three judges' cards after seven rounds by identical scores of 69-63.

"This was the hardest fight I've ever been in," the well-spoken Oliveira said after the fight. "My conditioning was superior thanks to Orlando (Cuellar, head trainer) and Steve (Arintok, conditioning coach). I'll be even better the next time.

"Everything happens for a reason. My dedication to training and the help I get from my team are responsible for my improvement. I never had anybody to guide me until Orlando and Steve at Thump Fight Gym (in Miami). All I need to do is work hard and listen to my coaches. I really wanted the knockout and would have had it if the referee hadn't disqualified my opponent. I was ready to drop him and got robbed of a knockout."

WBC No. 15-rated Oliveira, the reigning World Boxing Council ("WBC") South American middleweight champion, was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil but moved two weeks later with his family to Miami.

"Michael is improving fight by fight," Oliveira's father/promoter Carlos noted. "We knew he had heart and guts, but I was really impressed by the patience he showed when Tolliver came out swinging in the opening round. Michael didn't panic, listened to his corner, and executed. We will keep Michael fighting often so he can continue improving. We're looking at a fight in January and a big one in New York City in March."

Cuellar, who is best known as Glen Johnson's trainer, has worked with Oliveira for only two fights, but Michael's dramatic improvement is evident to anybody who has watched the once-chunky fighter for any period of time. Orlando gave his pupil a 10-grade for his performance against Tolliver.

"We took a gamble fighting Tolliver," Cuellar remarked. "A lot of people said we were making a mistake, stepping up so much, but we knew how impressive Michael had looked in training camp. We wanted a tough opponent for Michael in his first nationally televised test. Michael used three speeds very effectively - lulling, fast and faster. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 the highest, I give him a 10 because he listened, improved his defense and stayed focused. I told him to go after and put pressure on Tolliver. He's a good listener. He jabbed, feinted and moved his head as I instructed.

"Michael fought a very, very good fight. He may not have much experience having had only two amateur fighters, but he has my experience, as long as he listens and he's been doing that. He listened and did everything we worked on. I couldn't be more pleased. Michael's an aggressive fighter but, defensively, he's improved a lot and like we prepared, everything came off his good jab."

Monday, November 14, 2011

New York, NY (11/14/2011) - You don't see or hear of many top fighters calling out the name of Middleweight Champion Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez. Martinez, the WBC Diamond belt Middleweight Champion, and 2010 "Fighter of the Year" is currently riding a four-fight win streak (W12 Kelly Pavlik, KO2 Paul Williams, TKO8 Serhiy Dzinziruk, TKO11 Darren Barker) that has seen him climb the pound-for-pound list, falling behind only Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, both of whom have so far expressed no serious interest in facing Martinez.

That being said it might come as a surprise to hear a fighter actually eager to enter the ring against Martinez, but that's exactly the case with Ireland's Matthew "Mack the Knife" Macklin. Macklin (28-3, 19KO's), the former European Champion, and WBA #4 rated middleweight in the world, is coming off a very impressive and entertaining showing on EPIX against "Super" WBA Middleweight Champion Felix Sturm, in which Sturm was awarded a highly controversial split decision in his home country of Germany, on June 25.

Looking to further his career and secure another major fight in the middleweight division, Macklin signed with Lou DiBella's DiBella Entertainment, also the promoter of Martinez. After signing with Dibella, Macklin traveled stateside, setting himself up in New York City with a plan to stay through the remainder of 2011 and promote his name to the large Irish communities within the New York City area.

"I'm enjoying life in New York. I felt it was important to move here so that I can build a fan base if I am going to fight here on a regular basis. I'm determined to give the city and the huge Irish community here a fighter to be proud of," said Macklin.

Macklin realizes that Martinez is vying for a shot at the only two fighters ahead of him on the pound-for-pound list, but he feels that if those fights can't be made, a bout against him, in New York City, on St. Patrick's Day, is next biggest event out there.

"I've proved throughout my career that the bigger the challenge and the bigger the stage the better I perform, and there's no bigger stage than fighting a guy considered to be among the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the world, in the Mecca of Boxing. Being in a massive world title fight at Madison Square Garden is the stuff every boxer dreams of and it's close to becoming a reality for me now. The fact that it will be on St. Patrick's Day is just the icing on the cake."

While Macklin is by no means underestimating Martinez, he is extremely confident in his chances against the champ, especially after being on hand to witness Martinez' last fight in person.

"I have a lot of respect for Martinez. What he's done after taking up boxing so late is remarkable, but he's really a natural light middleweight and I'm a big, strong middleweight. I believe that my size, strength and power will be too much for him. I think Darren Barker did better than people expected but I also think that Sergio underperformed that night. Maybe subconsciously he thought he was in for an easy night against Barker and wasn't at his best because of that. On that performance, he was lucky he wasn't in the ring with me because I would have knocked him out. He'll have to up his game tenfold if he wants to hear the final bell against me, but I would expect him to and I wouldn't want it any other way. I want to beat Sergio Martinez at his very best, with no excuses."

Lederman, who hails from the Bronx, was an International judge (1967-1989) who worked more than 100 world title fights. Today, he plays a key role as HBO's World Championship Boxing judge analyst.

A graduate of Columbia University, the popular and recognizable Lederman was the 2006 "Good Guys Award" winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He is a World Boxing Hall of Fame inductee and this March, it was recently announced, he will also be inducted into New York State Boxing Hall of Fame inaugural class.

"Harold is a good friend, longtime Ring 8 member and one of the most respected people in boxing," RING 8 president Bob Duffy said. "His support for Ring 8 and its work over the years has been invaluable. Harold is a real New York boxing guy. We're grateful to him for agreeing to be our guest speaker this month."

Formed in 1954 by an ex-prizefighter, Jack Grebelsky, RING 8 became the eighth subsidiary of what was then known as the National Veteran Boxers Association -- hence, RING "8" -- and today the organization's motto still remains: Boxers Helping Boxers.

RING 8 is fully committed to supporting the less fortunate people in the boxing community that may require assistance in terms of paying rent, medical expenses, or whatever justifiable need.

Go on line to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about RING 8, the largest group of its kind in the United States with more than 350 members. Annual membership dues is only $25.00 and each member is entitled to a buffet dinner at RING 8 monthly meetings, the third Tuesday of every month, excluding July and August.

Friday, November 11, 2011

CATSKILLS, NEW YORK (November 10, 2011) - With just under a month before the biggest fight in his career, Joe DeGuardia is happy to report that Star Boxing's Delvin Rodriguez is right on schedule with his preparation for his much anticipated rematch with Pawel Wolak (29-1-1, 19 KO's) which is part of the Miguel Cotto - Antonio Margarito HBO Pay Per View card at Madison Square Garden that will take place on December 3rd.

Rodriguez and Wolak engaged in what many are calling the leading candidate for fight of the year that took place on July 15th. Both guys stood their ground, showed tremendous courage and thrilled the sold out crowd at the Roseland Ballroom in a bout that was a draw. Each guy claimed victory and on December 3rd they will get a chance to prove who is better.

Rodriguez (25-5-3, 14 KO's) has had a smooth training camp as he is secluded in the Catskills.

"Everything has been smooth, on point and intense", said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez believes that the familiarity and his own versatility will be the difference this time around.

"I know what he brings to the table. He is a brawler and he can't change that. I can do different things in the ring and I know that will be the difference"

"These two styles go together and this will be another exciting fight"

Rodriguez of Danbury, Connecticut loves the fact that this fight has become an East Coast rivalry with the New Jersey resident and it's only fitting that this showdown will take place at the Mecca of boxing.

"Because of the first fight, people on the East Coast are treating this like the main event. I have worked so hard to get to this point. This is even bigger then my world title fights because it's my time to show that I belong."

"This is such a big card and when I win this fight, I will show the people that I deserve to be mentioned with all the names at the top of the division. It's great that the main event is Cotto and Margarito because when I win it could definitely put me in position to fight the winner of that fight and the combination of all that is what motivates me"

The Delvin Rodriguez-Pawel Wolak fight is part of the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito II world championship telecast, which begins at 9 pm (EST)/6 pm (PT). It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 292 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HDTV for those who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry.

Tickets for the Madison Square Garden card are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50. They can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, online at www.thegarden.com and all Ticketmaster outlets.

MIAMI (Nov. 9, 2011) - Unbeaten, 21-year-old middleweight Michael "The Brazilian Rocky" Oliveira, according to his head trainer Orlando Cuellar, has the potential to be a Brazilian version of Oscar de la Hoya.

Oliveira (15-0, 12 KOs) makes his nationally televised debut Friday night (Nov. 11) against veteran Xavier "The X-Man" Tolliver (23-7, 15 KOs) in an eight-round on a World Championship edition of Shobox: The Next Generation, LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 11:05 PM/ET (delayed on the West Coast) from Cohen Stadium in El Paso, Texas.

WBC No. 15-rated Oliveira, the reigning World Boxing Council ("WBC") South American middleweight champion, was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil but moved two weeks later with his family to Miami.

His movie-star looks, fan-friendly style and unique storyline as a son from an affluent Brazilian family have allowed Oliveira to become a rising star in Brazil and compelling prospect in the U.S.

"With his face and skills, along with his ability to speak very well and light-up in front of cameras," Cueller said, "Michael can be a Brazilian Oscar de la Hoya, without the amateur background. He loves to fight but doesn't need to because of his family. His appeal is across the board - kids, seniors, etc. Women want to be with him, men want to be like him. He's the total package; a potential marketing phenomenon."

This will only be the second fight that Oliveira and Cuellar, who trains Glen Johnson in Miami among his more notable boxers, have worked together. "Orlando and I, chemistry-wise, clicked right away," Oliveira noted. "What makes this a perfect team is our adjusting to each other. There are times he doesn't have to say a word. I look at him and know what he wants me to do.

"I'm a completely renovated boxer. I still have my strength, but my defense, speed and conditioning are much better. Fighting on Showtime is a great opportunity for me to show boxing fans in the United States what our team has worked so hard at. People who saw me box in the past won't recognize me."

"When I first got Michael," Cuellar remembered, "he was a little chubby and he needed to tighten his defense and work on movement. I explained everything to him and he's everything into training since the first day. He's always had a big heart and guts. We brought his weight way down, got him to execute properly through good sparring, and his lungs and pump (heart) are right where we want. His heart's good, weight perfect, and Friday night our strategy is coming out."

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing presents the third installment of their new series "Boxeo Azteca" televised live on the Azteca America network as undefeated Jr. Welterweight Chris Algieri (11-0 6KO Huntington, NY) takes a big step up in class when he takes on hard hitting Bayan Jargal (15-2-3 10KO Arlington, VA) in the 10 round main Jr. Welterweight main event November 19th, at The Paramount in Huntington, Long Island, NY.

Algieri, whose mother is from Argentina, will be fighting in his hometown of Huntington for only the second time in his career and first time as a main event fighter. In his last fight Algieri disposed of tough Philly fighter Julius Edmonds in 4 rounds on March 17th of this year. Chris has battled numerous hand injuries which has slowed his progress down but now feels his hands are one hundred percent and is raring to climb up the Jr. Welterweight ladder. He faces a tough task on November 19th when he steps into the ring with Jargal.

Jargal, who represented his native Mongolia in the 2003 and 2005 World Championships as an amateur, has been called the Mongolian version of Manny Pacquiao for his relentless style. In his last fight Jargal took on world rated Breidis Prescott, a bout televised as part of ESPN2 "Friday Night Fight" series on April 22nd of this year. Jargal put forth a game effort as he hung with Prescott for the full 10 rounds, having strong moments in the latter part of the fight. Jargal is a hard puncher and is known for his fan friendly style. Bayan has promised to ruin Algieri's homecoming party.

Five additional bouts are planned for the card. The card will be aired on Azteca America with the telecast set to begin at 10pm EST.

Tickets are priced at $100 Ringside, Stage Gold, and Loge seating, $50 Mezzanine, and $30 for Standing Room Only and are available by calling Star Boxing (718) 823-2000 or visiting www.starboxing.com, The Paramount box office (631) 673-7300, or TICKETMASTER at ticketmaster.com 1 (800) 745-3000.

HOBOKEN, New Jersey (November 7, 2011) -- FIGHT NOW TVTM-- America's only 24-hour combat sports and entertainment channel - will be the place to tune for full fight week coverage building-up to the November 12th Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez mega-fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

"FIGHT NOW TV is fortunate to be able to provide boxing fans full coverage leading up to this great fight between the Fighter of the Decade, Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao (54-3-2, 3 8 KOs) and Mexican warrior, and another future Hall of Famer, Juan Manual Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs)," said Mike Garrow, GM and co- founder of the channel. "This is what FIGHT NOW TV is all about - a destination for fight fans to go 24/7 -- in order to watch all of the fight week build-up, including the press conference and official weigh-in, plus breaking down match-ups and providing post fight analysis. It's made for a special week of unique programming on our channel. We would like to thank HBO sports and Top Rank for allowing us to deliver this unique coverage on our channel."

The FIGHT NOW TV coverage starts today (Monday, Nov. 7) at 8:30 PM/ET with the "Greatest Hits" of Pacquiao and Marquez, followed Tuesday evening at 8:30 PM/ET by the showing of the ground-breaking In This Corner show featuring Pacquiao.

The coverage continues Wednesday with live coverage of the final main-event press conference, airing at 3:30-4:30 PM/ET, followed by the first episode of HBO's 24/7: Pacquiao-Marquez at 8:30-9:00 PM/ET.

A repeat of the press conference kicks-off Thursday's action, starting at 8:30 PM/ET, and followed by Pacquiao-Marquez I between 9:00-10:00 PM/ET.

Friday's official weigh-in will be shown live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, starting at 5:30 PM/ET with PPV fighters and Pacquiao and Marquez are scheduled to step on the scale at 6 PM/ET. A scaled down version of the weigh-in will air later that evening at 8:30-9:00 PM/ET and then Pacquiao-Marquez II between 9:00-10:00 PM/ET.

The action gets even hotter Saturday on FIGHT NOW TV, right up to the third showdown between Pacquiao and Marquez. From 2:00-4:00 PM/ET on Saturday, all four episodes of HBO's popular 24/7: Pacquiao-Marquez will air, followed by a replay of In The Corner from 4:00-4:30 PM/ET, HBO's Pacquiao-Marquez Faceoff from 4:30 PM/ET to 4:45 PM/ET. Between 4:45-6:45 PM/ET, FIGHT NOW TV will then switch gears, picking-up a card headlined by an exciting fight in Manchester, England between unbeaten heavyweights Tyson Fury (16-0, 11 KOs), the Commonwealth and British champion, and Canadian titlist Neven Pajkic (16-0, 5 KOs), via Super Channel.

From 6:45 to 7:00 PM/ET, FIGHT NOW TV will offer the Pacquiao and Marquez Greatest Hits and then the Pacquiao-Marquez III undercard will take center stage LIVE on FIGHT NOW TV between 7:00-8:30 PM/ET.

The Pacquiao-Marquez III marathon takes a break between 8:30 PM/ET-12:30 AM/ET but be sure to catch "Pacquiao-Marquez III," promoted by Top Rank, live Saturday night, Nov. 12 on HBO Pay-Per-View (9:00 PM/ET).

Tune back to FIGHT NOW TV after the final bell at 12:30 AM/ET for LIVE post fight special on the channel for the Talkin' Boxing with Billy C one-hour post fight show as Billy C and his special guests break down all the action from that night's event.

FIGHT NOW TV is available on Cablevision channel 464 as part of the iO Sports & Entertainment Pak!

About FIGHT NOW TV: With offices in New Jersey, Las Vegas and Toronto, FIGHT NOW TV is across-platform media company that creates and distributes content through its television, video on demand, and online outlets.

Founded by Channel Zero, Inc and media entrepreneur Mike Garrow and launched earlier this year, FIGHT NOW TV is the first 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week combat sports channel, bringing the best battles, fiercest fights and stunning knockouts to America. FIGHT NOW TV caters to fight fans of every genre, giving them a front row seat to compelling coverage of MMA, boxing, wrestling/grappling, Muay Thai, kickboxing and other combat sports. FIGHT NOW is the place for the best analysis, live and current events, documentaries and news coverage of the biggest PPV events and match-ups from around the globe.

FIGHT NOW TV has also enlisted one of the fight game's biggest names to join its camp, former UFC champion and MMA legend Randy Couture, who serves as both spokesperson and analyst for the channel.

About Pacquiao-Marquez III: Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions and MGM Grand, Pacquiao-Marquez III will be produced and distributed Live on Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Oliveira, the reigning World Boxing Council ("WBC") South American middleweight champion, is not a typical, contemporary prizefighter. The 21-year-old with a college background comes from an affluent family and boxes not for financial gains but rather his love of the sport. Boxing has always been in his blood. His late grandfather, Joao Oliveira, was an amateur boxer who sparred a few times with Brazil's all-time greatest boxer, three-time world bantamweight and featherweight champion Eder "Golden Bantam" Jofre (72-2-4, 50 KOs/1957-1976).

Michael first stepped into a gym a few years ago to lose weight and, now weighing 100-pounds less, he has successfully captured the hearts Brazilian boxing fans back home as well as those living in the United States.

Four-time world champion Freitas, who Michael hopes to replace at the head of Brazilian boxing circles, has agreed to come out of a nearly five-year retirement to fight WBC #15 rated Oliveira next year in what promises to be a major event in Brazil.

"I'm not distracted by the Freitas fight," Oliveira said. "I'm looking forward to fighting Freitas and then winning a world title, but each fight has to be a stepping-stone for me. All I'm thinking about right now is Friday night's fight in El Paso. I've spent a lot of time, energy and money into training and Friday night I'm finally going to get a return on my investment. I haven't prepared differently for this fight, but I'm stronger, better conditioned and improved defensively having worked so hard with my coach, Orlando Cueller. I don't feel any added pressure fighting on Showtime but I really appreciate this great opportunity."

Oliveira, the two-time defending Brazilian International Press Award's Athlete of the Year (2009 and 2010), was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil but he moved two weeks after birth with his family to Miami. His last three fights have been in Brazil and his fans there will be able to watch his fight this Friday evening via TV Globo, the third-largest network in the world, which has a two-year, six-fight deal with Oliveira.

"This will be Michael's toughest test to date," his father/promoter Carlos Oliveira explained. "He's stepping up, competition-wise, no doubt about that. We'd like to thank promoter Gary Shaw for putting him on this show. We're grateful to Showtime for showcasing Michael's talents for the first time on national American television."

Tolliver, fighting out of Atlanta, is battle-tested having fought world champion Anthony Mundine and other top fighters such as Said Ouali, Walter Dario Matthysse and Merhav Mohar.

"I was set to concentrate on fighting at 154 but this opportunity to fight as a middleweight on Showtime was too good to pass up," former super middleweight Oliveira concluded. "My goal is to eventually fight at 147, but Freitas can't fight any lower than 154, so I'll be fighting at junior middleweight after this fight. I'm still very strong but now have more effective weapons than just my power. I'm in the best condition of my career and have improved my defense a lot, but ultimately my strength will prevail above all."

“Lonnie B” to make UK debut at EventCity Nov 12 on undercard of Fury vs. Pajkic

By: Bob Trieger, Full Court Press

London (7, Nov, 2011) - Undefeated American light heavyweight prospect Lionell “Lonnie B” Thompson will make his United Kingdom debut November 12, on the Tyson Fury-Neven Pajkic undercard at EventCity, Trafford Park (next to Trafford Centre) in Manchester, England.

The 26-year-old Thompson (10-0, 6 KOs), who lives and fights out of Buffalo, New York, will be fighting outside of North America for the first time as a professional.

Rated as high as No. 2 in his division as a U.S. amateur boxer, Thompson was a five-time New York Golden Glove and three-time Empire State champion. Lionell also qualified and competed in the prestigious U.S. National Golden Gloves Tournament. As a member of Team USA, he boxed in Connecticut on ABC Sports, and in Romania in the Holden Belt Tournament. Lionell also capture gold medals at the Western Olympic Trials and East Olympic Trials.

Thompson, who is trained by pro boxer Ross Thompson (no relations) in Buffalo, is a graduate of Buffalo State College with a degree in Health and Wellness.

“Lonnie B” made his pro debut in 2009, stopping Zaid Malik in the opening round. Thompson has fought all over New York State, in addition to North Carolina, Delaware, Indiana and Montreal.

Hennessy Sports caught up with Lionell before he heads to the UK.

HS: Lionell how do you feel about fighting in the United Kingdom for the first time?

Thompson: “I feel good about fighting for the first time in the United Kingdom. The closest to England I’ve ever fought was in Romania when I was an amateur. Boxing fans over there are going to love me. I train hard and I’m always in top shape. I’m going to give British fans a brilliant night of boxing.”

HS: Are you excited to be fighting on a card headlined by Tyson Fury?

Thompson: “Yes, excited but not nervous. It’s a big show and great opportunity for me to be fighting on a show headlined by a great fighter like Tyson Fury. I was born to be a superstar. TV and big crowds excite me. I’m at my best when the bright lights come on. Fans there will get a chance to see an up-and-coming star, live and in the flesh, before I become a star.”

HS: What kind of style do you bring into the ring?

Thompson: “Fans can expect to see quick hands and quick reflexes. It’s going to be a one-sided fight, no matter who I’m in the ring with. I have excellent boxing skills and will execute our game plan to a tee. I guess, you can say, my style is a mix of Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather, Roy Jones Jr. and Terry Norris. I hit and don’t get hit. I come forward, can fight in the pocket, and do what I want to do in the ring. I have a hard jab, go to the body, good ring generalship and head movement, and can fight on the inside, too. I’m not cocky, just confident. I never worry about losing. The hard work is done in the gym and the easiest part is the fight.”

HS: Are you concerned about going overseas and fighting in a foreign country?

Thompson: “No. I train hard and I’ll be in great shape. I adapt well to anything, so I’m not concerned with the weather, air or anything over there. I’m ready to go.”

HS: Do you have a statement for British fans?

Thompson: “I want to tell them to get ready to see the next superstar. I’m coming to take over. Tyson Fury is a great fighter. I’m the next big thing in boxing. Get ready for me!”

Fury vs. Pajkic, proudly presented by Hennessy Sports, will be broadcast live on Channel 5.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Nov. 5th, 2011) – On a night when undefeated records fell by the wayside, Mariusz Wach made sure at least one fighter escaped with his perfect record intact.

Defending his World Boxing Council (WBC) International heavyweight title for the first time, Wach stopped pesky veteran Jason Gavern (21-9-4) at the 1:03 mark of the sixth round Saturday at the Mohegan Sun Arena to retain the belt and improve to 26-0 with 14 knockouts. Ranked No. 8 in the WBC, Wach knocked down Gavern in each of the first two rounds, but the Chicago native – ranked 29th in the WBC – fought back in the third and fourth and brought the raucous to its feet before Wach forced the stoppage in the closing minutes of the sixth.

The Wach-Gavern heavyweight showdown, schedule for 12 rounds, was the main event of “November Reign,” promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports in association with Global Boxing and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. The show featured two upsets with Rick Dawson of New Haven, Conn., and former North American Boxing Organization (NABO) middleweight champion Patrick Majewski each receiving their first career loss before “The Viking” restored order in the main event.

Gavern, a last-minute replacement for former world champion Oliver McCall, who was originally scheduled to face Wach, promised to put on a show for the fans and he delivered, unloading on the 6-foot-7 champion with reckless abandon in the third and fourth rounds and even taunting his opponent along the way. Wach, as always, remained calm and regained control of the fight in the sixth. He stunned Gavern with a flurry along the ropes early in the round and unloaded again with an overhand right that pushed Gavern back several feet and forced the referee to mercifully stop the bout.

Veteran Jose Miguel Torres (23-5, 20 KOs) of Miami scored the first upset of the night, knocking out the previously-unbeaten Majewski of Atlantic City at the 1:16 mark of the sixth round to capture the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) and NABO titles. Majewski (17-1) dominated the first five rounds and had control in the sixth until Torres landed a short right hook to the chin that sent Majewski to the canvas for good.

Torres escaped with his second consecutive knockout victory and his first win in a title fight; he lost to then-unbeaten Joe Greene in 2008 with the North American Boxing Association (NABA) light middleweight title on the line.

Another upset occurred in the first swing bout of the evening as Borngod Washington (3-9, 1 KO) of Queens recorded his third victory in his last four fights and first career knockout by stopping Dawson at the 58-second mark of the fourth round.

Dawson dominated the first two rounds, but Washington fought back midway through the third to gain control of the fight. Early in the fourth round, Washington caught Dawson with his back to the ropes and unleashed a flurry that caused the referee to stop the bout.

The show began with a back-and-forth battle between New Haven junior featherweights Nate Green and Josh Crespo with Green earning a unanimous-decision victory (40-36, 40-36, 39-37) in his professional debut. Crespo dropped to 0-1-1. Springfield cruiserweight Jose Torres rebounded from a loss in his pro debut in July with a dominant performance, stopping newcomer Francwa Russell (0-1) of Chicago at the 1:17 mark of the third round.

Lightning-fast super featherweight prospect Kamil Laszczyk of North Bergen, N.J., remained unbeaten with a first-round knockout win over Chris Montoya (2-5) of Salt Lake City, Utah. Laszczyk (5-0, 4 KOs) overpowered Montoya from the opening bell, dropping within the first 18 seconds courtesy of a hard right hook. Montoya made it to his feet, but didn’t last much longer; Laszczyk ended the fight with another overpowering right hand at the 36-second mark.

Heavyweight Artur Szpilka of Wieliczka, Poland also kept his perfect record intact, rebounding from a surprise knockdown in the opening round and stopping David Saulsberry (7-4) of Greenville, Ky., one minute into the second round.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

NEW YORK (November 5, 2011) - A significant part of the future for promotional company Boxing 360, undefeated prospects Joel Diaz and DonYil Livingston, will be back in action again tonight (Sat., Nov. 5) at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California.

"Julio and DonYil are closing out strong years," Boxing 360 CEO/founder Mario Yagobi said. "We're very high on both of these prospects and expect them to make a lot of noise in 2012. We're grateful to promoter Nasser Niavaroni for putting them on his Uppercut Boxing Promotions card."

Diaz has registered first-round knockouts in each of his last three fights, his last against Esteban Nichol in Las Vegas this past July. Joel had an 84-10 amateur record and won seven California titles.

The 27-year-old Livingston (6-0-1, 3 KOs), fighting out of Palmdale, California, was a highly decorated US amateur boxer who had a 178-23 (89 KOs) amateur record, including gold medal performances in the National Silver Gloves (1996, 1998 and 2000), National Junior Golden Gloves (1995-2000), 2000 National & International Junior Olympic s, 2001 National Under-19 Tournament, and 2004 Ringside World Championships.

Livingston, whose cousin is world champion Andre Ward, is coming off of his most notable victory as a pro on October 15 versus previously undefeated Kurtiss Colvin (6-0) on the Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson undercard at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Livingston made a strong statement, defeating Colvin by way of a six-round decision (59-55, 58-56, 58-56).